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    Hadley Public Library

    5.0 (1 review)
    Closed 2:00 pm - 7:00 PM

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    Forbes Library - 2nd floor

    Forbes Library

    4.4(13 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    The Forbes Library in Northampton, Massachusetts, was established through the will of Judge Charles…read moreEdward Forbes, who died in 1881. He left $220,000 to the city to create a public library that would be free and accessible to all residents. Construction began in 1893, and the library opened in 1894. The building was designed by architect William Brocklesby in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, using Longmeadow brownstone and fireproof steel framing. It remains one of the most architecturally distinctive civic buildings in western Massachusetts. Judge Forbes was not related to the Forbes family associated with Forbes magazine or the well-known Forbes millionaire rankings. His wealth came from investments in the New Haven and Northampton Canal and later in railroads. He lived modestly, never married, and rented rooms in town. His legacy was civic rather than commercial, focused on education and public access to knowledge. The library also houses the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, reflecting its deep ties to local and national history. So while the name might suggest a connection to publishing or wealth, the Forbes Library stands as a monument to quiet generosity and intellectual accessibility. Beyond the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Museum, the Forbes Library offered a warm, welcoming space filled with quiet nooks, curated art displays, and shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly with local history, fiction, and research materials. We explored the main reading room, where natural light poured through tall windows and the original woodwork lent a sense of timeless dignity. A rotating exhibit near the entrance showcased regional artists, while tucked-away corners revealed archival maps and Northampton memorabilia. The elevator made it easy to reach the upper floors, ensuring that the library's resources and charm were accessible to everyone, regardless of mobility. [Review 1135 of 2025 - 1276 in Massachusetts - 24688 overall]

    You know me and Libraries; can't keep me out of them!! and this one I daresay is my favorite in the…read moreWestern Mass area. Ok, ok, it's not just because Paco the vegetarian Pirahna is here. The building itself is an architectural marvel. There's something about this beautiful building that's up on the hill, surrounded by large oaks. It's as if the leaves billowing in the wind beckon you to: "please come in." There's just something about where this building is situated that exudes peace and tranquility. You'll see that others feel the same in the reviews. If you follow Forbes on Instagram, you'll not only see that it's active with events, but a lot of them strive to help the community. They have an upcoming event where they'll have clothes, shoes and general business attire available for people who are looking to get a job. I can't think of any other library that does that. To further expand on that note; they lend out musical instruments. You read right; you can borrow musical instruments here. I'm not sure what details are involved but I personally found that to be incredible, and a show of the willingness to go the extra mile for the community. Yes, you do have to pay for parking here. I know that sounds off putting, but there is a sign on the property that says the proceeds help the library and their programs. Besides, I think a dime gives you 20 minutes time so it's extremely cheap. Keep up the good work Forbes! You definitely have admirers.

    Photos
    Forbes Library - By the entrance

    By the entrance

    Forbes Library
    Forbes Library - Stairs from the 2nd floor

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    Stairs from the 2nd floor

    Hampshire College

    Hampshire College

    4.5(12 reviews)
    3.1 mi

    My alma mater is one of the other 4 colleges in the area but I did take a class her as part of the…read more5 college consortium. My oldest followed 2 generations and went to that school as well but my middle son marches to the beat of a different drum. So I was not too surprised when he applied to Hampshire College. My son was very carrot and stick orientated so very focused on grades and he was accepted to 9 of the 10 schools he applied for ... RPI being one of his top two choices with Hampshire being the other. I was intrigued how he would deal with a evaluation based classes. He has adjusted pretty well. So far I am thrilled with his experience and he seems to be fitting right in.

    I attended Hampshire from Fall 94-98. Bridging the years where Hampshire went from the grads who…read moretook 10 years to get a diploma (LOTS of "student sabbaticals" which weren't allowed after some school changes) and the "new kids" who fell under stricter guidelines. Pre-2000, a lot of Hampshire students were left with a "sink or swim" style of education. The faculty were amazing (Marion was excellent with Tai Chi and other classes and the outdoor programs were excellent, David Kerr and others were supportive and definitely helped me stay on track. Being one of a small number of financial aid students, the feeling at the beginning of each year was incredibly stressful (if you couldn't prove you had the funds, sometimes making the difference up in cash before matriculation, you couldn't start the school year). Financial stresses aside, it was one of the best times of my life. Hampshire College gave me insights into the way I work and strengthened my belief in self worth and my ability to achieve whatever I set myself up to do. Hampshire is a direct reason why I was able to take more risks after college, pay off a tremendous amount of debt in just a few years (yeah business consulting!) and achieve a lot of the successes I have now. I learned the undergrad education wasn't so much about what I studied, but how I set goals, researched, learned, and achieved whatever I set out to do. Those lessons have given me more than any piece of lambskin was worth. Yes - there were Hipsters at Hamp before Hipsters were a "thing" and there will continue to be the trust-fund babies who opt to float through four years of f-ing around and not really doing anything but spend money and get high. There are more, way more, motivated students who are pushing themselves to be more than what most colleges and universities expect. I'd argue there are more alumni from Hampshire (graduates or drop outs) who've succeeded because they were real examples of what a Hampshire student is - motivated, dedicated, self-assertive, risk-taking, and willing to fail several times to achieve success at whatever they're doing than there are from other more "normal" schools. I loved Hampshire and while it still definitely needs to improve its alumni relations, it's a constant work in progress and it's great to see awesome kids coming and going from there still...

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    Hampshire College
    Hampshire College - Enfield housing

    Enfield housing

    Hampshire College

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    Amherst College - Science Center with a lovely interior.

    Amherst College

    4.0(10 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    My 16 year old son and I came on a hot day in August 2022 for the 10:00am information session and…read more11:15am campus tour. This is a top-notch small liberal arts college (about 1,800 students come from 49 states and other countries) with a gorgeous campus. The hilltop view of the Connecticut River in the distance is worth the visit! The campus has a nice mix of architectural styles with a world-class natural history museum. Afterwards, getting lunch in the town of Amherst was convenient - the proximity of restaurants in town within walking distance is a plus for Amherst students. Amherst still requires KN95 mask wearing for indoor building access and requires you to show your COVID-19 vaccination card. If you don't like this policy, that may be a sign that Amherst College is not for you. In any case, it's well worth a stop here if you're looking at small liberal arts colleges. One star is removed for not having a short restroom break during the tour. Also, the information session auditorium was difficult to find and about a 10 minute walk from the admissions office.

    What a beautiful campus!!! This is rated among the top three liberal arts college on the national…read morelevel! This College was a lot better than I expected.I went to an information session and campus tour to learn about the college for my daughter. What I learned was that they have an open curriculum and they focus on undergraduate studies and accept a student body of 1800. Their financial aid is based not on a merit system it's based on finances. The campus has newly built science center and they have the most incredible Beniski Natural Sciencecience museum!!! I didn't have a chance to go ahead and look throughout the entire museum but this is definitely on my list to come backbut they had a huge skeleton of a mammoth and that already made me fall in love with this museum. They had a great student center which house a lot of movie nights and other cool things on campus. There ihave one dedicated food Hall of the Valentine because the person who cooks there is named Valentine... I think. And they have an amazing athletic center which a humongous track and field which is the state of the yard. They have new dorms for upperclassmen and the underclassmen resides in the center square.I definitely think it's worth visiting they also have arts museum to which I didn't have a chance to look at but again I'm on my list to visit. Also this is a very inclusive College.

    Photos
    Amherst College - Traditional building on the walking tour.

    Traditional building on the walking tour.

    Amherst College - Dining Hall in the distance.

    Dining Hall in the distance.

    Amherst College - The Amherst mascot is a mastodon!

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    The Amherst mascot is a mastodon!

    Hadley Public Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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